A CLAIM FOR THREE MILLIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10625, 21 March 1896, Page 6

A CLAIM FOR THREE MILLIONS

It is stated in The Times that a claim for £3,000,000 is about to bs pressed bythereprei sea' stives of the late Sir Stephen Shairp against ths Government. This curious claim arises from the French war in the early years of the century when the French seized property belonging to the present claimant's ancestors. It is alleged that, although adequate funds were paid over to the British Government after tbe war, considerable portions of the indemnity never reached the hande of the persons.entitled to them. After the conclusion of hostilities it w&9 arranged that the sequestration laid upou the property of the subjects of the high contracting parties shonld be taken off, and commissioners were appointed to examine claims arising out of such sequestration and illegal confiscation. The commission eat in Paris, and it seems that its work was hnrri.viiy done, for when it dosed several claims ware unsettled. After a lapse of nearly 20 years, and as the result of strong agitation, the commission w»s reopened, but even then claims do uoS. seem to have been disposed of. Sir Stephen Shairp w»s Consul-general for Russia, and Charge d'Affaires at St. Petersburg, and property belonging to the firm of which he was a, partner, of the value of about £100,000, was seized by the enemy during the war, and when the commission was appointed the arm, of course, claimed for the confiscation. To prepare the necessary affidavits and go through the requisite forms both at home and in Russia occupied a great deal of cirae, aad when all preparations were completed the commission bad closed its doors and returned to London with a very large turn of money in band. The new commission did not open till 1832. by whiah time Sir Stephen Shairp, worn out with efforts to recover his property, had died. His duly certified claim was hi the hands of the commissioners, but his son, an officer in the Royal Navy, was unaware vf the fact, and knowing little, if anything, of tha circumstances, while entirely unfamiliar with business, could not prepare fresh affidavits and remake the claim. Thus the commission, with the olaim already in its possession, took no steps, and the money dm to the firm of Snairps was never paid to them. Later, the whole of the papers of the two coranrussious were handed over to the custody of the Public Record Office, and it was discovered that the unsitisfiod claim was amongst them. The Government, however, have declined to allow representatives of the original snfferers to have access to the papers, whilst they hava never taken any steps to set the matter right At compound inberest, £100,000 amouats in 80 years to about three millions, but it is unknown whether the full amount will be claimed.